It has been my understanding - as confirmed by comments by the "experts" during the seeding shows - that the #1 overall seed in the tourney is supposed to have the so-called easiest path to the Final Four, as kind of a reward for all their hard work in the regular season. Well, we can confirm that this is clearly NOT the case this year. It was said after the pairings, and it still rings true today, the East is by FAR the toughest bracket of any of the four. Proving that if a team works hard enough all season to get a #1 overall seed, and gets to stay close to home, they'll be able to watch as other #1 seeds coast while they tow the most difficult road to the Final Four.
As Memphis, UCLA (joke bracket), and Kansas get to watch their "competition" slowly disappear at the hands of teams who clearly had something to prove to the entitled elite, the East bracket sits unscathed - not an upset in nary one game (unless you really consider the Arkansas/Indiana game an upset) - as 1, 2, 3, and 4 all prepare for a trip to Charlotte.
So, is the #1 overall seed worth it? I'm not so sure. I can say with certainty it wouldn't be so bad to be UCLA, at this point, with the bracket AND the refs on my side. On the other hand, with all the haters, the Heels have something to prove. And what better way to shut up the masses than to beat the best?
As Memphis, UCLA (joke bracket), and Kansas get to watch their "competition" slowly disappear at the hands of teams who clearly had something to prove to the entitled elite, the East bracket sits unscathed - not an upset in nary one game (unless you really consider the Arkansas/Indiana game an upset) - as 1, 2, 3, and 4 all prepare for a trip to Charlotte.
So, is the #1 overall seed worth it? I'm not so sure. I can say with certainty it wouldn't be so bad to be UCLA, at this point, with the bracket AND the refs on my side. On the other hand, with all the haters, the Heels have something to prove. And what better way to shut up the masses than to beat the best?
